Kodak’s decision obviously relates to its recent bankruptcy. It would presumably prefer to be one of the top camera companies and raking in vast profits from the category. But even if the exit stems from financial woes, I’m not so sure that it isn’t, in its own way, a forward-looking move–a sign that Kodak is agile rather than a sign that it’s a failure.

You can argue that Kodak should have been smart enough to invent the camera phone. You can point out that digital SLRs and other fancier stand-alone cameras–the sort that Kodak chose not to make–are still selling well. Given the situation as it exists, though, I think that Kodak is making the right decision, sad though it may be. And it’s quite possible that other companies that make point-and-shoots may follow its lead over the next few years.

[Art at top of post: Detail from 1965 Kodak ad.]

This story, "Is Kodak Smartly Exiting a Dying Business?" was originally published by
Technologizer.

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